Food Seen: Local Food TV, Oyster Farming, Takeout and More East End Delights

The Hamptons and North Fork dining world remains vibrant in the off-season, including local food television, restoration of oyster farming and key habitats, 12 Days of Takeout and more from the East End “Food Seen.”

The quirky and schmaltz-filled cooking show Two Jews Making Food returned to the airwaves on LTV last month. TJMF, starring Rebecca Edana and Amy Steinhaus Kirwin, has a number of episodes “in the can” and more scheduled to film. Local cable viewers in East Hampton and Southampton towns can tune in to Channel 20 every Tuesday at noon, Friday at 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. for a half-hour of delicious fun. Each episode will run for two weeks at these scheduled times. Those without cable and anyone living out of the area, can also stream the episodes on LTV’s YouTube channel. In Episode 3 (Dec. 7–Dec. 18), “Kugelicious,” the gals take on a classic sweet kugel (egg noodle pudding) as well as a less conventional but equally delightful savory kugel, topped off with a geshmak gimlet. Geshmak means “delicious” in Yiddish. Warning: Eat before viewing.

Manna at Lobster Inn will continue the aquaculture series “Manna Mondays” on Monday, December 13 featuring two nonprofit local organizations: the Moriches Bay Project and Half Shells for Habitat. The discussion begins at 6 p.m. and will share the mission and accomplishments of both organizations as well as oyster farming and restoration of habitats in local waters. Featured speakers include Aram Terchun and Laura Fabrizio of the Moriches Bay project, and Maureen Dunn and Arielle Santos of Half Shells for Habitat. A fundraiser dinner will follow benefiting Half Shells for Habitat and Moriches Bay Project for $60 per person. Tickets may be purchased by calling Manna at Lobster Inn at 631-728-5555.

The Greater Jamesport Civic Association, in partnership with On the Docks Grill in Aquebogue, announce the Civic Association’s winter fundraiser The 12 Days of Takeout, a benefit for the Civic Association and its Community Service Award Scholarship. From December 12 through December 23, On the Docks, located at 177 Meeting House Creek Road, Aquebogue, will feature a special takeout menu with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Greater Jamesport Civic Association. The special menu offerings include delicious seafood, steak, chicken and pasta dinners complete with choice of a house salad or soup for $30; and a popular hamburger platter with fries and choice of fixings for $18, plus tax. The special takeout menu may be viewed on the Greater Civic Association’s website at greaterjamesportcivic.org. Participants may place takeout orders by 631-886-1160 and stating you want to place an order from the special Civic Association menu.

Fun Food Facts: Candy canes were invented to keep kids quiet. Legend has it that candy canes were invented in 1670, when the choirmaster of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany commissioned candies shaped like a shepherd’s crook so they could be handed out to children attending the church’s crèche scene to keep them quiet. The stripes came later. Who knew?

Did You Know That: You can buy bottles of La Fondita’s house-made salsas to enjoy at home, numbered in order of hotness: salsa verde no. 3, salsa de pipian no. 5, salsa de chipotle no. 7 and salsa de habanero no. 8.

Food Quote: “I don’t know when pepper mills in a restaurant got to be right behind frankincense and myrrh in prominence. It used to be in a little jar that sat next to the salt on the table, and everyone passed it around, sneezed, and it was no big deal.” ~Erma Bombeck, author

Got a restaurant news item or tip? Email us at dansfoodseen@gmail.com!